Ramadan fasting in kidney transplant recipients with normal renal function and with mild-to-moderate renal...

Fasting during Ramadan is prescribed for every healthy Muslim after the age of puberty. However, many patients ask their physicians whether it is safe for them to fast.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of voluntary Ramadan fasting on patients with transplanted kidneys.

We conducted a prospective study on 41 kidney transplant recipients who chose to fast during Ramadan and 41 recipients who had not fasted at five transplant centers in the month of Ramadan (September-October 2007). All 82 recipients underwent transplantation at least 1 year prior to the study, and all had had stable renal function for at least 6 months prior to the study.

The mean ages of the fasting and control groups were 42 +/- 12 years and 43 +/- 12 years, respectively, and the corresponding duration since transplantation was 10-210 (average: 65) months and 11-180 (average: 69) months. Our results showed that estimated GFR did not significantly change during Ramadan for either group (mean estimated GFRs pre- and post-Ramadan were 72.8 +/- 27.8 and 73.1 +/- 29.3 ml/min in the fasting group, and 73.4 +/- 18.8 and 73.1 +/- 18.5 ml/min in non-fasters, respectively). In patients with GFR < 60 ml/min, renal function remained stable during Ramadan.

The results did not show any adverse effects of fasting, especially on allograft function, in kidney recipients who had normal as well as mild to moderate impaired but stable renal function prior to fasting.